Tumbling and agitating machine



y 1949. H. w BISHOP 2,476,478

' TUMBL ING AND AGIIATING MACHINE I Filed March 9, 1946 3 Sheets-Sheet 1I V M: 5 I 5;" 5 1 w July 19, 1949. H. w. BISHOP TUMBLING AND AGITA'IINGMACHINE Filed March 9, 1946 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 July 19, 1949. H. w.BISHOUP 2,476,478

IIUMBLING AND AGITATING MACHINE Filed March 9, 194a I a Sheets-Sheet sHon/A430 M B/JV/OP Patented July 19, 1949 uni-T so STATE ear QFF'IEEAGI'IATING MRGHINE Howard Bishop; Northwfi oilywond; Gama.

Agplieat'ion March 9, 19%;,Serial No. 653,230

8; (CHESS-171W and universally moivahlev tumbiingt'bowh provides for aturning;- twistingv andsvirreguiar." movement of the bowl such-thata'amosteffectivestumbiing and agitating and v mixingwl'otinn:int-assured.

Another object is: to provide? in; a? machine a new and highly efficientdrivesmeans for driving a spherical' tumbling bowl with arotam-andnsciielat'ory motion: sothat clothes on" other: material therein" will. betumblediand agitated: to: insure v a quick and thorough cleansingv ormixing: on: agi? tating 'as'flthezcase maya'bez.

A further object is to provide: armachinet of; the character described?in: which; a: bodily movable Bow-l having a-- trade. om the; exterior:thereof: is suspended: freely from a simple: rotary-J driving meanswhicmwhflevsupporting: thezbowl provides for-turning it in: apathit-corresnonding tott-hat-of thetrack.

Another obj eciii's te -provi'd'e 2 a machi-ncwherein a'a-sp'her-iealand? bodiiy 'movablebowhhaving: fixed tothe exterior thereotantendlessatra ck-r extending overrandiconformingtbithez-curvatureiofithesouter surface; of; the bewl makes it: possible:torsuspend the bowl; from airctarv drr ives means which will turnit in-accordance with the patinofthexendless track and thereby prodnceaasmotiomwhichl wilt assure a2. most efficient: tumbling? and. agitatingactiom itir a; lessee numberscfiparts; and: elements amt 2 arrangementof parts hereinafter described and claimed, and illustrated bywayofexamplein the" accompanying; drawing", in which:

Fig; I isra' side-elevation of a machine embodyingt thepresentinvention-and showing in dotted linesone form ofhousingwhich maybe employed as well asschematically-indicating that the housingconstitutes a support for themotor and drive means;

Fig. 2"isa topplanview of themachiheasshown in-Fig; 1, with the housingbrolien away and shown in part in dotted'lines:

Fi'gi 2w is afragmentanv sectional view showing how the drive means isengaged with the track;

Fig, 3 is'a-nelevational view-oi' the bowl' removed fromthe drivemeans-and housingand' looking directly-toward the closure for the bowlas when in the position shown in Fig. 1;

Fig: 4 1s a vertical"sectional 'view of the=b0wl"as shown in Fig: 3-;

Figs 5: is an: enlargedi fragmentary elevational view: looking in thedirection of the arrows on: the 1ine' 5-5ofFig. 11;

Fig: 6 is a schematic views showing a: modified formof track; and

Fig; is: a schematic; view: showing: another mcdifiediform ontracks One.embodiment of my invention: as shown: in the-accompanyingdrawing:generally includes; a tumbling .bowL A preferably: of spherical. form, atrack B mounted: anther exterior of: the bowl and preferably curved:substantially in. conformity withthe portion of thebowliover which it.extends; a1 driveiand supporting: means; 6; from which the bowlistsuspendedfandby meansof which-the bowl turned it: an pathr conformingto? that of the track; and=a=suitahle housing 'D (shown: in: dottedlines) for enclosing,amii'supporting'the drive and supporting: means: 1partially enclosing; the bowl;

In accordanoe: with; this invention the drive means; including; a motorssuch. as-the electric motor E shown ixrFigsahZ and:5; serves-the pun"-pcseeoi; supponting theebowl-zand; turningthe bowl with: a; motionand'zin: a: direictiomdependent upon the:.formation: ofthetrack. whichlatter as here ShOWILiSJGIidlGS'SL This;endlesstrackwhen.shaped toconform to-the cunvatureof portionsof the bowl over which it extendssmay taleethe formof a series oiconnected'. ueshaped-portions withsubstantial-ly paraliel sidese and disposed to embraceabout-two-thirdsoitheecircumference; of the bowl as shownin-Figs 1! and2; or may be variously shaped; ,fon examples asaindicatediii-(Figs; 6and)? where the: tracks are shown, of somewhat, hounglass shape with theopposite portions or sides curved inward and outward in 8 form. Theseshapes may be varied as desired provided the track conforms more or lessto the shape of the portions of the bowl over which the tracks extend oris curved to partly embrace the bowl, whereby on rotation of the drivemeans the bowl will turn in accordance with the path of the track andthereby give the bowl a movement which will effectively tumble thematerial therein and produce a quick and thorough washing action whenused to wash clothes. In fact the bowl could be of various shapesprovided the tracks as here shown are arranged to embrace or extendpartly around the bowl. V

The track B as here shown is welded to the bowl A but may be fixedthereto in any suitable manner and arranged to encompass greater or lessportions of the bowl than here shown dependent on the amount of motionwhich it is desired to impart to the bowl.

As here shown the bowl A is provided between opposite portions of thetracks B with a circular opening 8 affording access to the interiorthereof. A closure 9 for said opening is supported by means of a hingedbar ill being secured to the closure by means of a suitable fastening H.A suitable latch member I 2 cooperating with the free end [3 of the barIn serves to hold the bar in position to seat the closure over theopening 8, there being a sealing means l4 between the rim of the openingand the closure. Any suitable baflle means such as the baffles F may beprovided interiorly of the bowl. I

The bowl A is provided with a suitable drain opening l5 normally closedby a spring loaded valve means l6 operable on the exterior of the bowl.

The drive and supporting means C including the motor E is supported on abracket structure I! in turn'supported by the housing D, the dotted lineat l8 indicating diagrammatically a suitable bracket support afforded bythe housing. Bearings IS on the bracket I! support like parallel shafts2!) which are driven or rotated simultaneously in the same direction bymeans of like gears 21 on said shafts arranged to mesh with gears 22 ona shaft 23 which latter is journalled in the bracket I 1 and driven bymeans of pulleys 24 and 25 on the motor E and shaft 23 respectively anda belt 26 extending around said pulleys. I The like shafts 20 forming apart of the drive means C extend horizontally in spaced parallelrelation to one another to points at the front of the housing D and attheir outer ends are provided with like friction drive wheels 21 whichare engaged with the track B so as to support the bowl A as indicated inFig. 1.

As here shown the track A is channel-shaped in cross section and thedrive wheels 21 fit within it as shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 2:, whereby notonly is the bowl given a balanced support but is subject to being turnedwhen the shafts 20 and wheels 21 fixed thereto are correspondinglyrotated. The weight of the bowl assures an effective and safe frictiondrive providing possible slippage without damage to the drive mechanismand motor in case the bowl is overloaded.

Fig. 1 shows how the bowl A is normally suspended by means of the trackB and drive means 0, the bowl being free but prevented from tilting bythe dual drive and supporting wheels 2'! (see Fig. 2). In this positionthe closure 8 is below top center of the bowl and presented so as to 4The bowl may be loaded and the contents removed therefrom in easyfashion when in the position shown in Fig. 1. The usual switch means forthe motor or any other suitable starting and stopping means (not shown)may be employed to make it possible to bring the bowl A to the loadingand. unloading position shown in Fig. 1. In this position the drainopening is at the lowermost point on the bowl and ready access to thedrain valve is aiforded. In fact the bowl may be readilymanually shiftedto the position shown in Fig. 1 or to any other position and as readilylifted off the drive means and replaced.

As shown in Fig. 6 diagrammatically a bowl 30 corresponding to the bowlA may be provided with an endless track 3| which is applied thereto inbe readily accessible in front of the housing D.

the same manner as shown in Figs. 1 to 5 but is somewhat hour-glassshaped with S-shaped sides instead of the parallel sides shown in Figs.1 to 5. This will provide a more irregular motion and greater agitationof the material in the bowl.

Another modified form of endless track 32 on a bowl 33 corresponding tobowl A is shown in Fig. 7, this track having a more pronounced irregularmovement and agitation.

While I have shown and described specific embodiments of my invention, Ido not limit myself to the exact details of construction set forth, andthe invention embraces such changes, modifications and equivalents 'ofthe parts and their formation and arrangement as come within the purviewof the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a tumbling and agitating machine, a substantially spherical bowlhaving an opening affording access to the interior thereof, a closuremember for said opening, an endless track fixed upon the outer surfaceof said bowl, and having a drive means engaging surface overlying theexterior of said bowl, a support, and driving means carried by saidsupport including rotary means engageable with said surface of saidtrack so that the bowl is freely suspended from said drive means andwill be moved in a path corresponding to that of the track duringoperation of said drive means.

2. In a tumbling and agitating machine, a hollow bowl having an openingaffording access to the interior thereof, a closure member for saidopening, an endless track describing an irregular path fixed upon andhaving a portion spaced from and overlying the outer surface of saidbowl, a support, and driving means carried by said support including adrive wheel drivingly contacting said portion of said track so that thebowl is suspended therefrom and will be moved in a path corresponding tothat of the track during rotation of said rotary means, said tracksubstantially conforming to the curvature of that part of the bowl onwhich it is mounted.

3. In a tumbling and agitating machine, a support, a rotary drive meanscarried by the support and including a friction drive wheel, an endlesstrack of irregular contour suspended from said drive means in frictionalcontact with said. drive wheel so as to turn in a circuitous path uponrotation of said wheel, and a bowl'fixed to said track to turntherewith.

4. In a tumbling and agitating machine, a support, a motor thereon, arotary drive means operated by said motor including a pair of rotaryshafts, friction drive wheels on said shafts, an endless track ofirregular contour and having a channel in which said wheels are disposedso that the track is freely suspended from said wheels subject to beingturned responsive to rotation of said wheels, and a bowl fixed to saidtrack for movement therewith.

5. In a tumbling and agitating machine, a support, a motor thereon, arotary drive means operated by said motor including a pair of rotaryshafts, friction drive wheels on said shafts, an endless track suspendedfrom said wheels so that it will be moved responsive to rotation of saidwheels, and a bowl supported by said track for movement therewith, saidtrack being curved and extended only partly around said bowl.

6'. In a tumbling and agitating machine, a support, a motor thereon, arotary drive means operated by said motor including a pair of spacedapart parallel rotary shafts, friction drive wheels on the outer ends ofsaid shafts, an endless track having a channel in which said wheels aredisposed so that the track is freely suspended from said wheels subjectto being moved responsive to rotation of said wheels, and a hollowcontainer supported by said track subject to movement therewith, saidcontainer being substantially spherical, said track being curved so asto extend only partly around said container substantially in conformityto the curvature thereof.

7. In a tumbling and agitating machine, a drive means including a rotarydriving wheel, an endless track of irregular contour suspended from saiddrive means in driving contact with said drive wheel so as to turn in acircuitous path on rotation of said wheel and a tumbling bowl fixed tosaid track to turn therewith.

8. In a tumbling machine, a rotary driving wheel, an endless track ofirregular contour drivingly suspended from said wheel so as to turn incircuitous path upon rotation of said wheel and a tumbling containerfixed to said track to turn therewith and being embraced by said track.

HOWARD W. BISHOP.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 779,746 Smith Jan. 10, 19051,833,437 Salenius Nov. 24, 1931 2,322,909 Zimarik June 29, 19432,392,911 Gaudet Jan. 15, 1946

